My Pinterest Addiction

So, as I've previously confessed to, I have an addiction on Pinterest.  I recently saw someone had "pin'd" a post to a blog that was titled "30 ideas for a date night at home."  It peaked my interest.  As I was reading this I was actually thinking to myself...."Are you kidding me? Who has the time to prepare a meal to eat and sit on the deck.  Plus, I won't be able to watch my shows while I'm sitting on the deck eating my PB&J sandwich." (PB&J is what I always think of when I think of a picnic...which is not all that often.)  By the time I had finished this list I was almost in tears I was laughing so hard.  While I will likely never try some of these, the thought of having a date night at home sounds lovely.  Even better the thought of someone else dreaming it all and allowing me to do ZERO of the planning, preparation, and clean up sounds even more appealing.  (as you can tell I'm a romantic at heart).

Here are a few of my favorites from the blog:



~  Wear your old bikini that you would never wear in public again, because your stretch marks glisten too brightly in the sunlight! Ha. Your husband won’t care and will love you in it.


~Dress as a character from a movie and you pick the character for each other


~ Try to beat your all time record. (This was my husband’s suggestion for the list.)  -- (NOT SURE IF THIS ONE WAS APPROPRIATE, BUT IT STILL MADE ME LAUGH).  


I decided that I loved this list so much that I would make own (ROBERTSON STYLE) of ideas for our kind of date nights!

1. Instead of sitting all the way across each other on the 2 couches in our living room...  Sit on your own couches, but closer together this time.  This way you can share the end table between the couches for your beverages. How sweet.  Maybe your hands will meet when reaching for the remote or pop.
2.  Offer to give the other person the remote control on your favorite night of television.  (don't forget to hit record on the DVR though).
3.  You be the one to volunteer to go "get" dinner on that given night.  How nice it would be to not argue over who will be the one to call in and who will have to get in their car and go get it!  (wow, this never happens at our place).
4.  Complete the crossword puzzle in your People magazine together (while fun, it is also helpful since I can't seem to ever finish the whole thing).
5.  Look through old picture albums and remember the times before your life surrounded around big people jobs, mortgages, cooking and cleaning, changing diapers, worrying about raising children and concerning yourself with adult worries!  Remember the feelings you had at that time and how carefree you were!  Savor that moment for a short while until you hear one of your children yell for you from upstairs and then be glad that you have the wonderful life that you do!  

Sunday... good and bad?

I like Sunday's quite a bit.  They always start out very nice.  We wake up, having some breakfast and load up and head to Church (well we didn't get to do that for about 3 months so today was a welcomed treat back to reality).  We enjoy a wonderful worship service (never fails to amaze me) and then home for a good family day.  However, I feel like a child when I say that I always really don't like Sunday's.  I hate the feeling of having to go back to work on Monday.  To be away from the kids, (it doesn't help I'm starting a VERY BUSY time at work starting tomorrow).  It makes my heart heavy.  I was spoiled in December (while I agree it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows) I was with my family quite a bit.  I enjoyed it very much.

I know that I love my job.  I work with great people, I feel like I'm semi-good at what I do...however, it is still work!!

Ok, so I think my Sunday evening pity party is over.  

Here's to hoping that my post tomorrow is much more pleasant and it means I've had a good Monday!

If you are a parent

So my new addiction is Pinterest.  There I said it...now I can seek help!  :-)

Seriously.  I love to browse for decorating ideas, cooking ideas, and just see what people are interested in.  What good clean fun!  I managed to "pin" one of those articles that was something like "25 rules If you're a mother of boys" or " 50 rules If you're a father of girls." with advice and tips for raising your kids.  As I was reading them I kept thinking to myself...I bet I could come up with one for our family.  So, here it is!

10 Rules if you're an Ankeny Robertson family of 4 with a Mom, a Dad, and boy/girl twins!
~~~    (Clever, I know).  ~~~

10. Remember that each day is a gift.  Whether you're dealing with a health issue, a sassy little one, 50 loads of laundry, dishes or work....enjoy your time and count your blessings!  You never know what will change from day to day.

9.  The dishes CAN wait until tomorrow.  If you are enjoying time with your family or friends why stop to do the dishes.  The beauty of this is THEY WILL BE THERE LATER~

8.  Kiss and hug any time you can.  (refer back to previous post).  Now I'm not an advocate for PDA's, but make sure that your loved ones know you do love them.  Sometimes words just aren't enough.  Give someone a hug!

7.  Sing songs ABOUT EVERYTHING!  What a fun way to go through life.  Also, use your vibrato voice as much as you can.  Sing about your dinner, your clothes, your toys, and your life.  It really does make the heart much more happier (and it helps those around you who might not be having the best day).

6.  Get down on your belly and play cars.  Use your imagination again.  As adults we just live in the present and reality, and we forget how much fun it is to play pretend.  So, dress up a doll and tell "her story" or have a "big fiery crash" with the cars.  You'll be glad you did.

5.  Have a family movie night.  Make appetizers for dinner that aren't the most nutritious, let the kids have ice cream and popcorn (ok, let everyone have it) and watch a movie together.  What a great memory.

4.  Say YES!  Even if it means that you have an extra mess to clean up, it will be loud, it isn't on your agenda or you just don't want to do it.  If it puts a smile on your child's face (or your husbands or wife's) say YES.  Down the road it won't matter that you had that extra mess, what will matter is that you brought happiness in that moment.

3.  Color.  Draw pictures that tell stories.  Color outside of the lines while you're at it.  Show your kids that you enjoy spending time with them and doing the things that they love to do. What I suspect you will find is that you get quite a bit of enjoyment and relaxation our this activity.  Also, play with play-doh.  Make shapes, mix the colors and let your kids get down and dirty.  You'll thank me for it later!

2.  Make sure to have "me time" and "date night" time.  Kids are our lives, but don't forget who you were before you were a parent and even before you were a couple.  Even if this time is short or rare, savor it when it does arrive.

1.  Praise the one that gave you the gift that is your life.  Praise him when all is great and happiness surrounds you.  Praise him in the storm. Praise him when you are feeling there is no where to turn and your heart is heavy.  For when you praise him everything I've listed previously will be made present to you.

So there you have it!  Not a long list, maybe not even a fun to read list, but it is my life and man I'm pretty happy to be living it!  :-)

Conversation this morning

Birk:  "Give me that toy you have!"
Addy:  "No.  Get your own."
Birk:  "GIVE IT TO ME."
Addy: "I'm the BOSS of you and I said no."
Birk:  "You not the boss, Daddy is my boss."
Addy" "Mommy is the boss and she will say no too."
Birk: "Oh!"

Wow, we have our work cut out for us!!!

What should I blog about now....

With the lack of living in a hospital, lack of traches, trache supplies, health challenges we are feeling as if we don't have much of a life!  haha..  :-)  

We are happy to post a good report on the kids.  Birk is doing good being home.  We had a fabulous holiday with family, opened lots of wonderful presents, and just spent quite a bit of time being thankful for the many blessings in our life.  We spent some time putting together the short video from the previous post.  It has been lovely. 

This week brought us a nasty taste of reality though.  We went back to work after almost a month of working remotely.  It was a bit disheartening, but at the same time fairly comfortable to get back.  One last major change will take place at the end of next week....Birk's nurse will no longer be assigned to our house.  We will begin full time daycare for both kids on Monday January 16th (well, maybe the 17th depending on MLK day!).  Wow, I can't hardly believe it.  I also found out I can register the kids for preschool on the 17th.  PRESCHOOL?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  How can my kids almost be ready for preschool?  I guess in the next month or so I need to get really serious about that potty training business.  

Funny story for the post:

Birk (as he picked up his Grandma Robertson's school picture):  She is pretty.  With her necklace, sweatshirt, and her happy face!"  

Funny thing was that she was wearing a necklace, she wan't wearing a sweatshirt, but a lovely sweater and she did have a smile on her "happy" face!  Grandma was right when she heard this....he is quite the charmer!  Now with a couple cool scars!!!  

~~ Birks ~~

This is a video that Nick and I made for Birk. This video was very emotional at times to make as we thought about the last 2 1/2 years and what they have meant to us.  The Trache saved his life.  It wasn't what we would have wished for, but it has meant a lot to us (as strange as that sounds).  I will never take for granted that scar on his neck.  I hope he never forgets where he has come from...and what it took to get here.

Hope you enjoy the video.

Jeepers !!!

So tonight after dinner I was feeling a little tired after all the Christmas fun so I decided to lay on the couch and watch some recorded episodes of Parenthood.  I was laying there for roughly about 15 minutes and Birk kept asking me for his blue car.  I finally got up and searched high and low for this car...and no luck.  I asked him "well where is your blue car?"  He walked right over to our sub woofer and pointed.  Our sub-woofer as a small whole in the front and when Nick picked it up and moved it we heard what we were afraid of....

About an hour later here is what we had pulled out using hooks we had with tape on the end (my lovely creation cause I couldn't get my fat arm in the stupid hole), and eventually the vacuum.  We blew 2 fuses, got some scrapes on our knees and were a tad irritated.

Not exactly the relaxing evening on the couch that I had planned!  ~~

Good thing those kids are cute!  :-)

Happy 2012!